Complacency shouldn’t be a problem for the Homestead High girls volleyball team. When your top player and reigning league MVP never seems satisfied with her performance, it’s hard for the rest of the team to be content, either.
Katherine “Kat” Fischer won’t tell you she’s the best player in the SCVAL De Anza Division – the Los Altos resident is too humble for that – but her new coach will.
“Without a doubt, we have the best player,” said Matt Hoffman, who faced Fischer and the Mustangs the past two years as Gunn High’s head coach. “She’s very intimidating (to opponents): she’s good and everyone knows it.”
Hoffman is not only impressed by the 5-foot-10 Fischer’s athleticism and power, which makes her a dominating outside hitter, but also by the junior’s ability to push teammates to play their best.
“She’s really good at keeping the team motivated and on task. She has a quiet way of not letting everyone let up,” Hoffman said. “She doesn’t rest on what she’s got. She sets a very good example and is a great leader.”
A captain with setter Melissa Cheng (also a junior), Fischer takes her role seriously. She understands the importance of chemistry and hard work.
“We still have to jell a little more as a team and become more consistent at everything,” said Fischer, who recently made an oral commitment to the University of Oregon. “I need to bring the team together more as a captain.”
Fischer has high expectations for herself and the team. After finishing in the middle of the division last year, the Mustangs reached the Central Coast Section Division I final. With five starters returning – three of them seniors – Fischer believes this may be her best chance at capturing a championship.
“This is our year to get it, and I think we have a good shot,” she said. “But we have to take it one game at a time; one point at a time, really. We want to go to CCS and go as far as we can. The biggest hope is to win the title, but we have a ways to go.”
If Homestead is to secure that elusive title, it will likely have to get by San Benito. The Hay Balers beat the Mustangs in last year’s CCS final and twice in the first week of this season.
“I think mentally that they’re really good, but we can beat them,” Fischer said of San Benito, which beat Homestead in the Sept. 1 Milpitas Spikefest and three days later in Hollister. “We’re a little inexperienced and backed down from them. We need to improve everything.”
The Mustangs split their first six matches of the season and finished 13th at Spikefest, but their coach isn’t about to panic. It’s too early for that.
“We need to improve on things we’ve been working on more than on the wins and losses,” said Hoffman, who’s led the Homestead boys to the playoffs the past three springs. “They need to get rid of the notion of having to win right now – they’re pressing. The coaching staff wants to win at the end of the year. I want to see improvement – be the best team at the end of the year.”
Being the best team in the De Anza Division could prove just as challenging, though the Mustangs believe the league title is within their reach.
“We’re hoping to pull out ahead, with the good teams ahead of us (last year) rebuilding,” Fischer said. “I think we can do it.”
Hoffman added: “I think it’s going to be Los Gatos, Mountain View and us (competing for first place), but there’s always a sleeper that comes around.”
The coach is confident his team will be prepared for league play, which begins Tuesday with a 6:45 p.m. match against visiting Mountain View.
“They’ve been to big games and in tough matches,” Hoffman said of his team. “Their desire to win is high. Combine that with their skills, and they’re pretty good.”
Homestead is a veteran squad with adequate size (starters average 5-10) and plenty of year-round players. Fischer, Cheng, sophomore Tori Carroll (a right-side hitter from Los Altos) and junior Elizabeth Case (libero/defensive specialist) play for elite power league club teams; senior Lauren Hoopes (outside hitter) is an area-league standout.
Seniors Allie Thicket and Justine Wales man the middle blocker spots, backed up by Los Altos resident Colleen Fitzgerald, a junior. Diana Moberg, a senior from Los Altos, splits time at libero with Case and fills in at outside hitter. Los Altos resident Katie Phan, a sophomore, is another defensive specialist.
While Fischer is the main weapon on offense, Hoffman said it’s vital others contribute for Homestead to be successful.
“We emphasize that everyone else does their part and get the focus away from her – others need to put the ball away for us to win,” he said. “We don’t always go to Kat. Everyone needs to make an impact and not let someone else do it.”
That’s just fine with Fischer, poised for another big season.
“I’ve improved a lot since last season,” she said. “I have a lot more focus, and I’m better at hitting and passing. I’ve pretty much improved everywhere. But there’s still work to do.”
Homestead is scheduled to play in the Westmont Invitational Saturday in San Jose.
